Folding-machine.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERLEY R. GLASS, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO I. R. GLASS GOM- PANY-,. OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

' ronnme-mncnmn.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERLEY R. (innss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer-' tain ID'IPIOVGIHGHiS in Folding-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawingsindicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for folding in a step-by-ste n'i'anner pliable material suchas parts 0 boots and shoes. Machines of this kind include folding instrumentalities which partially or completely 3 when taken out of the machine.

3 ance with an .ent invention .means are 'form the fold and pressing instrumentalities which press the fold after it has been formed.

The action of the folding instrumentali ties in many cases temporarily bends the Work at right angles to its margin or strains the work as if it had been so bent. As a result of this action the. work heretofore operated upon has had a tendency to curl up Workin this conditions has an appearance which is objectionableand is also somewhat awkward for thesewing machine operator who stitches together the parts of the upper. In accordimportant feature of the presrovided for eliminating from the work th .s tendency to curl up so that the work will be in a fiat condition when it leaves the machine.

. the folding instruinentalities. For example, it has been found that if the folding instrument-alities bend the work upwardly and at right angles to its margi means which bend the work downward y and at right angles toits margin will be effective to remove entirely from the work anytendency to curl up.

As herein shown the work engaging means for bending the work downwardly comprise the hammer and anvil which have also the function of the pressing instrumentalities Specification of Letters Patent.

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed January 18, 1915. Serial No.2,874.

above discussed. These elements in the construction herein shown also have the function of feeding the work. The utilization of the'hammer and anvil for the three functions of bending, pressing and feeding the work, constitutes an important feature of the present invention although it will be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to provide separate work bending elements or so to modify any other elements than the hammer and anvil which are now commonly used in folding machines of this class, that the said elements may perform the bending function.

One form of anvil suitable for producing the desired results has two fiat work engaging faces disposed at different levels and separated by a step or shoulder over which the work may be bent b the hammer. Such an anvil constitutes a urther feature of the invention' Still other features of more particularly to the construction of the individual work pressing elements." For purposes of adapting the hammer and anvil to operate on work of various thicknesses the stepped work engagin faces of one of said elements are made re atively adjustable so that the height of the shoulder or step may be varied to suit the conditions of thework in hand. -As herein shown this adjustment is provided for in the hammer. A bent or angular groove is also provided in one face of the hammer to facilitate plaiting the work about convex edges. I Another feature of theginvention relates to improved mechanism for operating the hammer whereby the action of the latter may be made resilient'to accommodate Work of varying thickness and at the. same time afford convenient 'provision for adjustment of the tension of the hammer operating mechanism and of the path of the hammer.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated 'from the following description of a prethe invention relate ferred embodiment thereof selected for pur-- poses ofillustrationand shown infthe accompa-nying drawings in which,

Figure 1- isa view in perspective of the operative parts of a foldin machine showing the hammer in, its raisedposition:.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the action of the hammer and anvil upon the work;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the hammer and its actuating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of this mechanism partly in section, and i Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the work engaging face of the hammer.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a folding. machine of the type disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 790,892, filed September 20, 1913, but it will be understood that the invention is in no way restricted to thisor any particular type of folding machine. The application herein mentioned, however, discloses one form of specific mechanism desirable for operating the instrumentalities herein illustrated and for further details of construction reference may be had to said application.

Referring to F igs. 1 and 2, 10 indicates the table of the machine above which pio jects an arm 12 carrying a creasing member 14- the inner edge of which acts to determine the line of fold in cooperation with a reciprocating folding member 16. The member 16 moves up and down. in an inclined path opposite to the edge of the creaser and turns the margin of the work up about the edge of the creascr t step-by-step manner. Underlying the c're'aser l'zl: is a clamping. block 18 between which and the creaser the workis held. during the action of the folder 16. The arm 12 also carries an oscillating snipping knife 17 which may be used or not as desired.

The hammer and anvil are arranged to act upon the work after it passes the folder and creaser. The anvil 20 is disposed on the left hand side of the clamping block 18 and has a work engaging face 22 disposed atsubstantially the same level as the face of the clamping block 18 and a second .work engaging face 24 disposed at a slightly lower level and being separated from the face by a step or shoulder 26 which extends substanltial'ly at'right angles to the edgeof the Work. Arranged tocoESpeI-ate with the an' vil isthe hammer 28 which hasa portion 30 with a face shaped to cooperate with the fiat. face 22 of the anvil and a portion 32 having a face disposed'below theface of the portion 30 and arranged to cooperate with the face 24 of the anvil; The portion 32 of the hammer is adjustably secured in place by screws 3-1 and these permit adjustment of the relative position of the work engaging faces of the portions 30 and of the hammer. The action the hammer and anvil upon the work is well shown in Fig. from which it willbe noted that the hammer-acts to draw both plies of the completed fold over the step or shoulder 20, forcing it down at right angles to its edge. The face 24: constitutes in effect a recess formed in the anvil while the portion 32 of the hammer acts to bend the work into the recess. The bend in the work appears above the shoulder 26 in Fig. 2 and this bond, as already intimated, serves to counteract the strain in the work which has been caused by the bending in the opposite direction to which the work has been already subjected by the action of the folding instrun'lentalities.

As herein shown, the hammer and anvil are given an intermittent feeding movement toward the left, Fig. 1, while in engagement with the work to feed the work through the machine. The mechanism for imparting the transverse feeding movement to the hammer and anvil is not herein shown but may correspond to that disclosed in my prior applica tion hereinbefore identified. To facilitate starting the work the hammer 28 is provided with a spring foot 36 which extends forwardly from the hammer in the direction of the feed and acts to engage the advancing edge of the work before the latter has come into range of the main portions of the hammer and anvil. The anvil 20 is provided with a forwardly extending projection 38 which cooperates with the spring foot- 36 and is arranged to slidein a slot formed in The inner portion gin of the work being operated upon while I the outer portion is inclined at its front end slightly in a direction to meet the oncoming work. A slot of this shape has been found to facilitate the forming of the plaits and render them more uniform in size.

The hammer 28 is oscillated by a cam shaft 40, shown in Fig. 3, through mechanism which will now be described. Thehammer is pivoted for movement about the axis of a journal member 42 and has a forwardly extending arm secured to or formed integral with a casing 41 herein shown as of. substantially square cross-section. One side and the bottom of the casing'are formed byan angle plate 46 having anarnfLS which extends upwardly and .over the top of the casing as shown in Fig. 3. Within the easing is disposed ahollow plunger 50 having an arm 52. whicheezgtends outwardly through angle of the through 3 work, and the from reaching its lowest position,

. topper-ate in a step-by-step manner the casing and is pivotally connected to an actuating link 54. Within the plunger s located a compression spring 56 Whichrests on the bottom of the casing and normally holds the plunger adjusting screw 60 passes through the top of the plunger 00 and is provided with a head for engaging the upper end of the springfitl. By means of the screw 60 the 'efore the degree of compression of the ring may be regulated. I a

The link as is connected through a second link 62 with an oscillating cam lever 64: which is actuated by a cam 66 on the cam shaft 40. The oscillation of the cam lever 64: is therefore transmitted tl'irough th links and 5a tothe plunger 50 and thence the spring 56.) to the casing a l which is formed rigidly with the hammer 28. If a thick place is encountered in the hammer therebyprevented the spring 56 will yield to permit the normal n'lcvement of the plunger 50 caused by its drivin connection with the cam. lever. (14. The initial position of the hammer may be ad; justed by means of the adjusting screw 58 as already stated while 'its pressure on, the work may also be re ni iated by varying the compression of the l s-111 56. through the adjusting screw 60.

Although in the illustrative machine the hammer and anvil have been shown as eonstructed to bend the folded i'nargin downwardly approximately at a right angle, it should be understood that the important feature the downward bend during the pressing operation, and that the particular bend or whether there is strictly any angle at all is not ess ntial.-

(lertain, features herein shcnv such for example as an anvil having diil'ei *nt locali tie in its operative face located' at different levels, a groove in the harmnei to receive the puckers, and a spring finger to start the feed of the work, are claimed broadly in my prior application which has been referred to above.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A folding machine, having, in col'nbina tion, folding instrrunentalities constructed and arranged to turnupwardly and fold the .nnirgin of the work, and means for bending downwardly the folded edge tendingat right angles to its margin. 1

2. A folding machine, having in comliiination, folding instruniientalit constructed to turn over the margin of the ilpw-ardly and folc menus down above the work and hat to a second operative about a line eix- .bination, "fol work, and means constructed and arranged to act subsequently upon the. margin so folded to bend the material of both the foldedn'iargin downwardly,

' 3. A. folding machine,ha'ving,in comb] tion, feeding, folding and pressing in? n'ientalities including a coiiiperating pm... and anvil shaped to impart a downward bend to both plies of the folded margin during. the pressing operation.

. 4:. A folding madii'ne, having, in combination, folding instrumentalities, and work pressing means shaped to bend the, fold about a line extendin at right angles to the margin of the work curing the pressing op-' oration. l

5. A folding machine, having, in con'ibini tion, folding instrumentalities constrl.1cted and arrai'l'ged to turn up and fold over the margin of the work, and feeding devices shapet'l to engage the work and bend. the foldedmargin downwardly (hiring the feed.- ing o 'jmration. 1

6. A folding machine,havi1 1g, in omnbination, folding and pr wssing instrurnentalities including an anvil with. two work. engaging surfaces disposed at different levels against plies of both of which the folded margin of the work is pressed.

7. A folding machine, having, in combination, folding and {messing instritunentalities inelinling a hammer and anvil with op] faces constructl'ad and arranged to hem. work about a line extending at rigl'it ang to its Imn'gin.

8. A folding mael'iinc, having, in eoinbiiui tion, work feeding and pressn'ig ins rui'l'iern tali including an anvil having its work 10. A. folding 1m: line, having, in eonibination, folding and p talit including a han'm' r movaliile up and. an op ible relatively [mrtion towar or erative portion tl'iereof adjn from the work. p i

11.. A fOltfllllg I'i'lil-Gl'lll'ltt, having, in. ecnnhim "ion, folding and pr i'sing instrumeiiltalities including an anvil havii a portion ofv i. work engaging surf r l, and a haml'ner liaving an {M u a lo portirni dis posed in omiosition to the depr 1 surface of the anvil.

A. foldii mi whine, having, in chain and pressing inst-tn a hannner divided at .of the work ilttS l1 "ng instrumentions, the sections thereof being relatively adjustable,

-13. A folding machine, having, combination, folding and pressing instrumentalities including a hammer having a work engaging face with a bent pucker-receiving slot formed therein. a,

14. A folding machine, having, in combination, a hammer having a Work engaging face with. a bent ucker-receiving slot formed therein of whlch one portion is disposed substantially at right angles to the margin of the work.

15. Pressing mechanism for a folding machine including cooperating work pressing members each having two stepped \vork engaging faces, and one member having its stepped faces relatively adjustable.

16. .Pressing mechanism for a folding machine comprising a hammer pivoted to the frame of the machine and having secured of the plunger relatively to the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeifiration 1n the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PERLEY R. GLASS.

'itnesses HERBERT \V. Knxwn'. HARLOW M. Dans. 

